Fire Hall In Waverley West

May 31, 2018

Fire Hall in Waverley West – Standards of Response Coverage Report

In September, 2016 the City awarded a $186,000 contract to consulting firm Emergency Services International to produce a ‘Standards of Response Coverage’ report (SORC). Emergency Services International was contracted to facilitate a process that will support the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) goal of providing safe, effective, and efficient fire, rescue and medical response, and position the Department for eventual accreditation through the Commission of Fire Accreditation International (CFAI).

The intent of the scope of work was to produce a “Standards of Response Coverage” document that is fully compliant with industry best practices in the field of deployment analysis and station location analysis which will be used to determine the distribution and concentration of resources.

The report will be used by the Department as a tool that will assist in determining the most effective and efficient methods for providing quality services. The WFPS has four service areas: Fire and Rescue Response, Medical Response, Fire and Injury Prevention, and Emergency Preparedness. The WFPS Provides these services to 709,253 residents and an area covering 478 square kilometres. WFPS has 31 stations in a wide variety of conditions ranging in age from 2 to 105 years. The number of stations could be optimized according to the results of the SORC. A preliminary analysis of five potential station sites shows avoidance of over $12 million in maintenance costs

and decommissioning of property valued at over $5 million. The SORC will serve as one of the foundational strategic planning documents that will guide delivery of emergency fire and paramedic service over the next 10 – 15 years. The WFPS has adopted an integrated service delivery model with the deployment of paramedic services from fire apparatus, ambulances, and community sites. See excerpt from the Requestfor Proposals.The Public Service wrote a background report responding to request for funding from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, which provides an overview the background for a Standards of Response Coverage Report.

The intent of the report is to provide data based information for decision makers. This report will inform decision makers on timelines and coverage for Waverley West and South Winnipeg. I fully expect this report will identify the closure of some Fire Halls, and identify areas where fire halls might be required – based on resources, deployment time, and other factors. I’ve been meeting regularly with Chief Lane to discuss the progress of this report since it was awarded almost two years ago. He is unsure when this report will be released publicly, as ultimately it is up to the Mayor. I don’t anticipate the report will be released to the public before the Fall Civic election, but will keep you aware of any new developments.